PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Feb. 18, 2014) – Five players had multi-goal games as the Rutgers men’s lacrosse team (2-0) defeated Wagner (0-1), 20-5, in Staten, Island, N.Y., Tuesday. Fifteen RU players notched at least one point in the game, while 10 scored at least one goal.

Rutgers jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first four goals of the contest in the first 4:03 of the opening quarter, which included two goals from Klimchak and two assists by Nardella. Just six seconds in the first period, Nardella won the opening face-off and found freshman A Christian Trasolini (New Hyde Park, N.Y.), who put it in the back of the net. Klimchak added one more goal in the quarter, again with the help of Nardella, and the Scarlet Knights led 6-1 after the first.

RU came out firing again in the second, scoring six of the first seven goals of the period to take a 12-2 lead with 9:00 to go in the half. Klimchak started off the run by scoring his fourth goal before freshman A Connor Murphy (Clifton, Va.) tallied back-to-back RU scores.

After a Wagner score, the Scarlet Knights posted the final two goals of the half and took a 14-3 advantage into the break. Along with Klimchak’s four goals, junior M Brian Goss (Arlington, Va.), Murphy, junior M Rich Rambo (Abington, Pa.) and Trasolini each posted two first-half goals.

Trasolini started RU off with 14:33 to go in the third quarter, giving himself a hat trick. The Seahawks answered with two goals, cutting the Scarlet Knights’ lead to 15-5 with 5:06 on the clock in the third period.

It wouldn’t be enough, as Rutgers tallied the final five goals of the game to pick up the victory. In the 5-0 run to end the game, Murphy and Goss each secured hat tricks by their third goals of the contest.

Rutgers is back in action at Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES
- The 20 goals for the Scarlet Knights were the most since a 20-10 win over Wagner on Feb. 19 last season.

- The 15-goal victory for RU was its largest margin since downing Wagner on the road, 24-4, on Feb. 21, 2010.

- The 46 shots for Rutgers were the most since the squad tallied 54 at St. John’s on March 16, 2013.

- Scott Klimchak has now scored a goal in 19 straight contests, dating back to April 21, 2012 vs. Michigan. He has 49 goals in that span.

- Klimchak moved into sole possession of 10th on RU’s all-time scoring list with 95 career goals. He is one shy of Chris Heffernan (1981-84), who is in ninth with 96.

- Joe Nardella posted a career-high three assists. His previous best was one, which he did twice, most recently vs. Stony Brook (March 2, 2013).

- With 17 FO wins, Nardella has won 10 or more face-offs in three straight games dating back to the final game of 2013 vs. Georgetown (April 27).

- Kris Alleyne posted 12 saves, his fifth-straight game with 10 or more saves, dating back to April 13, 2013 at Syracuse.

- Rich Rambo recorded a career-high two goals. His previous best was one, which he did three times, most recently vs. Duke (April 20, 2013).

- Brian Goss tied his career-high with three goals. He last did it vs. Wagner on Feb. 19, 2013.

- In their second games of their careers, Connor Murphy and Christian Trasolini each notched a career-high three goals.

- Fifteen RU players posted at least one point and 10 scored at least one goal.